Official MLBlog of the Kansas City Royals front office.

Trey Hillman media session: April 26

Here’s what manager Trey Hillman had to say Monday afternoon before the game vs. Seattle:

On facing Mariners’ right-handed pitcher Felix Hernandez:

“He’s nasty. He’s good at making you chase, so we’ll need to be disciplined.”

On what the Royals need to keep improving:

“We need more stability. The offense gets enough hits, but we still leave runners stranded…and we give up more runs than anyone in the MLB in the seventh inning…more consistency would help.”

On Rick Ankiel’s status (strained right quad):

“He’s ok, still a little stiff. He was pinch-hittable yesterday, so we’ll see how he is today and re-evaluate for tomorrow.”

On getting more out of the starting pitchers:

“We’re getting enough. We need to keep guys healthy as long as possible. Eventually we’ll let guys get to 120 pitches.”

On the Royals’ defense:

“It’s not as good as I’d hoped, specifically on double-plays. Overall, Podsednik is a great left fielder, but with the dimensions and wind there’s a learning curve. Balls in the left field corner are pretty difficult.”

On being comfortable with the bullpen:

“I’m closer than opening day, but we’ve had a few bumps. I’m comfortable with Rupe to get the job done, and Parrish is good when he’s not overused. He [Parrish] has one of the best left-on-left breaking balls and I still think we can get the same Tejeda as last year.”

The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.